Living out faith in the home – Why, When and How?

How can we encourage, support and equip families to live out faith in the home? Key points before they start; Get Started; It is never too late to start exploring, discussing and living out faith in the home. Flexibility; There is no set or right way to live out faith in the home. Flexibility is a key aspect. What works for one family will not be right for another. It is important to work out what works best. Build in; It does not necessarily require families to add pressure to their already busy lives by creating numerous additional hours every week. It is possible to build faith into those everyday activities they already do.

Learn Together; Adults do not have to know all the answers. It is more about being on a journey together as a family. People may all be at different stages but enjoy the opportunity to explore, discuss and enjoy the journey by learning about faith together. No judgement! It is not about measuring levels of faith and does not involve success and failure. Faith is an ongoing learning experience throughout life. Include others; Faith in the home does not necessarily restrict it to those living under the same roof but can also include the extended family, friends and the wider church. For those in a church setting, inviting those who are single, divorced and widowed offers a richness and offers important relationships to be established. This may be even more beneficial if a family does not live near to or see their relatives. Have fun! Whatever their preference and learning styles, one of the key aspects is enjoyment! It may take a while but it is worth taking the time to find out what works best for a family taking into consideration age, time and budget available and being willing to be flexible and adapt as the seasons of family life change.

Starting points for families; Take into account the following factors when offering support and resources to families; Appropriate language and content when selecting Bible stories. There are a range of Bibles available for children and young adults. It is helpful if families can be given guidance as to what is appropriate to different age groups (see end note for details) Existing experience/knowledge of faith For some families their perception of exploring faith at home may centre around reading the Bible together. For many families this may present a challenge if they have never done this previously. Alternative ways to explore faith through activities and discussions may be more helpful. Getting started; Take into account the following factors when offering support and resources to families; Appropriate language and content when selecting Bible stories. Existing experience/knowledge of faith may affect how families choose to engage. Time and financial constraints For some families there may be limitations on their time and budget available. Exploring faith in the existing patterns and routines of family life is important to make it feel achievable. Younger children-walk to school can open up conversations about creation. Older children talking about relationships if issue are raised at school. How does that connect with faith and what can we learn from the Bible about relationships with others? For those with teenagers, the ‘taxi service’ facility offered by parents/carers can provide a valuable time for talking about life issues and the connection with faith.

Appropriate length of time for attention spans. Consider different means of exploring faith that will keep the attention. Ages of children in the family Make sure the Bible stories or the activities offered are suitable for the ages of the children. Be open to discussing faith with children of all ages. Start from where they are at. Learning styles of family members Some may prefer a study based approach, some may prefer an activity or discussion based. Varying the styles will meet these needs and offer a ‘freshness’ of approach particularly as ages and stages alter. A selection of ideas that can be used in the home; Integrating faith elements into daily life –praying before meals or bed, reading a Bible story before bed or after a family meal. Using craft, cookery or construction to link into the theme of the Bible story/faith concept. Watching films by way of opening up discussion. May be particularly appropriate for families who have not been familiar with talking about faith together or with older children who are no longer around for family meals.

Faith/church needs to connect with daily life! How does faith work out in daily life and its challenges; Early years – sleep! Toddler tantrums Education – applying for schools, coursework/exam pressures Teenage years Peer group relationships – ‘all my friends are’… Relationships Finance – loss of jobs Divorce Death

Finding God in the everyday Keep in touch with a child or young person’s world – read comics/magazines, watch TV programmes – who/what has influence on them. Connect with times and seasons – e.g. loom bands. During the craze, creative ways to pray using loom bands became popular. Be open to creativity as situations arise. TV not always bad - soaps/films often touch on life issues-they open up a door of conversation.

Creating Family Time – uninterrupted time set aside – fun based. Meal, fun activity, film - include a faith element. Where can the Bible give insight into daily issues? Example; relationships - look at David, Saul and Jonathon Teenagers – the ‘taxi’ service –no eye contact –easier for talking. Take the moment-when the door of conversation is open – step in – whatever the time!

Family Film Night – making faith fun! Pop some popcorn, grab your favourite snacks, enjoy a film together that helps explore faith. Younger children; UP – relationships, young/old, commitment, sacrifice, dreams/reaching potential. Ice Age 1,2 – community, relationships, fear, reaching potential. Monsters University-friendships, belonging, cheating, outcomes. Frozen - relationships, fear, being honest, what love really is. Prince of Egypt

Older children Narnia – Sacrifice, Easter Skyfall – power of technology, betrayal in relationships. The Matrix-The Matrix Reloaded Hunger Games –sacrifice, Easter – may need to be watched first.

What is appropriate for what age? Rather than providing answers, help families to gain the skills/confidence to make their own judgement. US website that aims to improve the lives of children and families by providing information about the world of media and technology. It provides information, reviews and guidance so that families with children of all ages from birth to17 years can have a choice about the media they engage with.